Annunciator



(No Model.)

C. A. TUCKER.

ANNUNGIATOR.

No. 350,449. Patented Oct. 5, 1886.

Fl E. 5.

j lNv ENTn q WITNESSES N. PETERS, Phublimugnphcr. Wnshingmn. D C.

UNiTED STATES PATENT .'OEEICE. 'l

CHARLES A. TUCKER, OF ISLIP, ASSIGNOR TOA TUCKER et BAXTER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ANNUNClATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part Iof Letters Patent No. 350.449, dated October 5, 1856.

'Application tiled July 9, 1885. Serial No. 171,104. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. TUCKER, residingin the town of Islip, in the county of Suffolk and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Annunciators and Drops therefor, 'of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, which will enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which Figure 1 is a side view of a part constituting one member of the annunciator, showing the drop raised. Fig. 2 is a similar View' showing the drop down. Fig. 3 is a plan showing two members in position in the annunciatorcase, the drops raised. Fig-4 is a view of part of the side of the annunciaton case, showingthe arrangement of the handle for setting the drops. Fig. 5 is a back view of the supportingpiece E. Fig. 6 shows the method of arranging the setting device when the drops are disposed on three planes.

Similarletters of refcren ceindicate like parts in all the drawings.

The object of my invention is to simplify and improve the construction and operation of that part of the annunciator called the drop or indicaton and it is applicable to all kinds of annunciators, but especially to those kinds in which electricity is employed.

A represents the annunciator-'case, which isl made of wood of suitable size to contain the number of drops required, and in this case, on a suitable bar or back-iron, F, are mounted the membcrs'or drops. Each member or drop consists, essentially, of a metallic frame, B, composed of an upper and a lower arm, parallel to each other, and a vertical part connecting them, convenientlyrmade of one piece of metal bent or cast'into the required shape, the vertical portion of which may be readily screwed or otherwise rigidly secu red to the back iron, F, as clearly shown in Figs. l and 2.

Between the upper and 4lower arm ofrthe frame B is mounted a suitable magnet, D,

- which is provided in the -usual manner with wires c and d, one 0f which runs to one pole of a battery directly, and the other, through a suitable gong or bell, to the other pole ot l the batteryto form an electrical circuit.

4of a small metal bar having its upper end brought to a knife-edge, as shown in Fig. 5,

and is pivoted near its lower end to the end of the lower bar of the frame B, and is adjusted and balanced so that in its normal condition it will hang slightly inclined away from the magnet D, as shown in Fig. 1., its upper edge reaching out far enough to support in povsitionpthe edge of the drop C, as also shown in Fig. l. The drop C consists of a dat plate, which may be conveniently made of tin, and atthe middle of its upper edge is attached to a curved portion or arm, a, which is pivotally hung on the upper arm ofthe frame B, and so balanced that when free the drop C will fall by its own weight into the position shown in Fig. 2, which will expose its tlatside to view, and in dicate its appropriate call or signal, the front ofthe indicator being the side farthest from the magnet. It will be seen that by this construction and disposition of the parts the drop C does not require to be weighted, as when it is balanced on or near its center, that the armature and its carrier may be made exceedlingly small and light, and that the friction of withdrawing the drop support E from beneath the drop is also exceedingly slight, so that a magnet and battery'of verybsmall power may be employed, andthat the magnet, its support, and the drop mechanism may be made very light, compact, and cheap, thatthe operation is very simple, and that there are no tension-springs of any kind to get out of order or require adj ustmcnt.

The operation is as follows: Vhen all the drops in the annunciator are set, they will be in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Vhen a signal is delivered to any particular drop,

the circuit-is closed, and the magnet of that drop is thereby excited, attracting the arma ture E,which withdraws the support from its drop C and causes it to fall and to assume the position shown in Fig. 2. I prefer to have the upper bearing part of the supporting-piece E finished to a knife-edge, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, as that makes the least friction in op- IOO eration. The best method of mounting these drops in the annunciator-ease is to attach the frames B to the metal bar F, called the back iron,7 to which they are suitably secured.

In arranging the members in a system, I make the following provision for resetting the drops: A metal rod, Il, is iitted in bearings in each side of the case A and provided with a handle, G, on the outer side ot' the ease for convenience. To this rod II are rigidly attached the spurs l) @which incline downward, as shown in Fig. 2, when not in use; but when employed to reset the drops the rod I-I is turned by means ol` the handle G until the spurs I) I), pushing against the pins f, raise the drops C. rllhe lower edge ofthe drop pressing against the side of the support E moves it toward the magnet until the drop has passed above thatsupport,when the supporting-piece y E falls outward again by its own weight, and the parts assume the position 'shown inFig. 1. Then the handle G, moving back again,causes the spurs b b to assume the position shown in Fig. 2, while the drop retains the position shown in Fig. 1. By this operation all the drops actuated by the spurs I) b, whatever their number, are at once reset. In order that the rod I-I may be turned to j ust the right distance, I place stops g g2 onthe side ol' the case, which limit the scope of movement of the handle G.

In Fig. G is shown an arrangement of the rods II I-I on different planes when it is desired to dispose the drops in that manner. The handle G is attached to one ol' the rods II, while all the rods .il in the case are pivotally connected to the bar I, so that by turning the handle G all the rods [I in the case will be at once operated, and any drops that have been upset will be reset thereby.

For some purposes, especially f'or burglaralarms, it is desirable that there should be `means provided for continuing the alarm in the case where it has been sounded through the circuit formed by means ol' the magnet D, should that circuit be again quickly broken. To accomplish this object I make an electrical connection which` is independent ot' the magnets D by attaching` a wire, i., to the rod II, connecting it to one pole of the battery, and attaching a wire, j, to the back iron, F, which connects through the alarmsignal device with the other pole of the battery. IVheu all the drops C are set, as shown in Fig. l, there is no electrical connection between the rod II and the back iron, F, as the pins K are insulated by mcaus of suitable coverings, and the back irons, F, are attached tothe wooden euse A; but when one or more of the drops fall the lower part of the metal arm rests upon the metal rod II, as shown in Fig. 2, and the elecA trical circuit:- is formed from the wires j through the back iron, F, support B, rod II, and arm I), whereby the sounding of the alarm is continued until the fallen drop is reset, al.- though the circuit operating the magnets D D should be broken. This arrangement and construction of the drops and their supports is exceedingly simple, no springs for adjusting the same are required, the parts are not liable to get out of order, and can be very strongly and cheaply made.

I do not claim, broadly, an annuneiatordrop arranged to fall by gravity; but,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new isl. An aummeiator-drop consisting of the magnet D, frame B, drop C, having arm a, attached to its upper edge, and pivotally bat anced to the upper arm el the frame B, in combination with the armature-carrier E, pivotally balanced to the lower arm of' the frame B in the path ot' the drop C, substantially as described and shown.

2. The annuneiator-drop C, provided with arm a, attached to the middle of its upper edge, and pivotally balanced to the arm of the frame B,`in combination with a suitable support to uphold said drop at its free edge, such support pivotally balanced to the lower arm ot' the frame B, and a suitable magnet to withdraw such support, substantially as described and shown.

3. An anuunciator provided with drops C, supported by arms a, pivotaily balanced to the upper arm of the magnetframe B, such arms having pins 7.1, in combination with the rod H, carrying spurs b, adapted to engage with the pins k and reset the drops when upset by rotating the rod II, substantially as described and shown.

4. An electrical aununeiator provided with drops C, supported by arms a, pivotally balanced on the upper arms of the frames B, magnets D, with suitable l attery-conneetions, armature E', and armaturecarrier E, pivotally balanced to the lower arm ofthe l'rame B in the path of the drops, and au electrical connection from the frames B to one pele of a battery, and an alarm-signal device interposed iu the circuit and adapted to be operated by closing the same, in combination with the rod H, connected to the other pole of the battery, and adapted to close the circuit and operate the alarm by contact with the arm a when one of the drops is upset, substantially as de scribed and shown.

CHARLES A. TUCKER.

Vitnesses:

EMIL Souueuaizpr, .lp-urns E. Palmen.

ICO 

